1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an attachment support for installing a piece of equipment on the landing gear of an aircraft, as well as a wheel-locking device that comprises such an attachment support. The invention also relates to an assembly that comprises a surveillance device and such an attachment support.
This assembly is particularly suitable for being mounted on a front landing gear of an aircraft, such as a civilian transport airplane, a military airplane, or a helicopter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surveillance systems of an airplane are known when it is stopped, in particular when it is left without surveillance or is not under much surveillance for a certain length of time. In particular, for certain types of airplanes such as airplanes for humanitarian aid or the airplanes that are often brought into sensitive zones, these surveillance systems make it possible to prevent risks created by intrusions into an airplane, such as the theft of equipment on board the airplane, the theft of cargo, the installation of dangerous elements in the airplane such as a bomb, or even the insertion of stowaways onto the airplane.
Thus, when intruders have entered a previously defined security zone around the airplane or when one of the accesses of the airplane is open, the surveillance system is capable of detecting these intrusions, and then in a simultaneous manner, it stores the information in a memory unit so as to be able to reproduce it subsequently at the end of the surveillance and sends alarm signals to a surveillance center to report the detected intrusions by specifying in particular the number of intruders, and their location relative to the airplane. The operators of the surveillance center can then take the necessary and appropriate measures relative to the situation. In this way, it is therefore no longer necessary to use human surveillance in a permanent manner around the airplane. This surveillance is performed in a remote and centralized manner. The surveillance system can also simultaneously trigger an audible signal to make the intruders leave. The presence of such a surveillance system is also useful for deterring possible intrusions.
Surveillance systems with sensors are known from the prior art as a surveillance system. Such a surveillance system comprises an assembly of sensors that are arranged at strategic locations such as the openings of doors and different accesses to the interior of the airplane, such as flaps at the landing gears. These sensors are connected by a communication network to a surveillance center. Thus, when one of the sensors detects a change of state of the door or the access associated with this sensor, the sensor sends an alarm signal to the surveillance center. The primary drawback of this surveillance system is that it is limited only to the surveillance of the accesses and openings. A significant portion of the airplane—such as the engines placed under the wings or structural elements other than the doors and the accesses—is not covered by this type of surveillance system. Another technical problem that is posed relates to the inadequacy of the information collected and transmitted by such a surveillance system. Actually, the operators and/or the users that receive the information sent by the sensors only learn a change of state of the sensor-equipped zones on such and such a date and at such and such a time. They do not have access to information such as, for example, the number of intruders, and their location relative to the airplane.
Another known solution is to use a perimetric surveillance system. Such a surveillance system generally comprises a particular assembly of sensors that make it possible to detect the movement of an intruder, and to capture images. The arrangement of these sensors relative to one another is such that they make it possible to delimit a surveillance field around the airplane. The assembly comprises means for recording data and means that make it possible to transmit information to a surveillance center or other recipients. Thus, when an intruder crosses the barrier that delimits this space, an alarm signal is produced. The surveillance system also comprises supply means such as a battery for the different electronic components that constitute the surveillance system. In the prior art, such an assembly is installed on the airplane, and more specifically on the body of the fuselage. It is in inactive position when the airplane is in flight, and it is in operating position when the airplane is stopped.
So as not to be subject to an authentication request in the same way as the other elements of the airplane, the installation of the assembly on the airplane is passive. Passive installation is defined by an installation where the different elements of the assembly are independent of the airplane and where it does not generate interference with the operation of the airplane when the airplane is in flight. Thereby, a portion of the elements that need access to the outside is contained in a type of housing that is attached to the wall of the fuselage.
Such surveillance systems have not turned out to be an optimal solution in terms of aerodynamic impact on the airplane and in terms of dimensional constraints, and this is for several reasons. Actually, the housing—once installed on the wall of the fuselage—projects by its structure relative to the profile of the fuselage, disturbing in a more or less significant manner the aerodynamic flow in this zone of the fuselage, and it thereby induces aerodynamic drag. So as to minimize the size of this housing, a recommended solution is to house within the fuselage a portion of the elements that do not need access to the outside, such as the batteries. Consequently, it is necessary to produce a housing within the fuselage, therefore requiring an intervention on the body of the airplane. This aerodynamic problem also imposes a constraint at the internal arrangement between the different components that constitute the surveillance system.
One solution that is adopted is to make the housing removable so as not to disturb the airplane during its flight and to reinstall it once the airplane is stopped. In this solution, it is necessary to provide wiring means between the housing and the elements that remain in the fuselage. In addition, it is also necessary to provide means for sealing the housing after the removal of the housing. Such means, when they are in the closed position, should also exhibit a profile that is in the extension of the wall of the fuselage. Such a removable housing makes its installation on the airplane relatively complex and can necessitate the presence of several operators.